Over the past few days I have been experimenting with longer meditation sessions, and it has been teaching me something I didn’t expect. Most of my meditations are around ten to fifteen minutes, and during that time I often stay at the surface layer. My mind stays busy, thoughts keep coming, and I never quite get past that early stage of mental noise. I started trying one-hour sessions to see what would happen if I sat with it for longer.

After twenty minutes something shifts. The overthinking begins to quiet down, and settling into the breath becomes easier. My attention feels deeper and more spacious. But the biggest thing I noticed was how unfamiliar boredom feels. The first twenty or thirty minutes are uncomfortable simply because it feels like such a long time to sit and do nothing. The boredom itself becomes the challenge.

This made me realise how tightly connected boredom is to nervous system regulation. When my mind finally settles, my body settles too — something I’ve been paying more attention to through practices like breathwork, short bursts of movement, and meditation:
How to Calm Your Nervous System: 5 Practices That Actually Work

Boredom as a Gateway to Deeper Focus

Once I got past that thirty minute barrier in meditation, the boredom faded and my mind settled naturally. It felt less like I was trying to meditate and more like sinking into a deeper layer of awareness. I could watch thoughts come and go without getting pulled into them. I could return to my breath more easily. It was a different kind of clarity.

This reminded me of something I’ve been learning through cold exposure — the moment of discomfort is often the doorway, not the obstacle:
Why Cold Showers Have Helped Me Build Mental Resilience

I realised how little space I give myself to just exist without stimulation. Most of the time I go straight from one input to the next. Even things I enjoy, like learning, still fill my mind with something new. There is no pause. No gap. No boredom. And without that boredom, there is almost no space for the mind to settle or think freely.

The Benefits of a Boring Walk

Something interesting happened after one of these longer meditation sessions. My earphones ran out of battery right before I went for my usual walk to get a coffee. It’s a route I take all the time, about thirty minutes round trip, and I always listen to something while I walk. But this time I didn’t have the option.

It forced me to embrace boredom.

I noticed things I normally overlook. The shape of the trees. The feeling of walking. The shifts in light. I felt more present. I also found myself accessing the same calm focus I feel during martial arts sparring — the quiet awareness that comes when the nervous system settles under pressure:
What My First Judo Class Taught Me About Staying Calm Under Pressure

And something else opened up too. I found myself coming up with ideas for articles. I started solving small problems from work. I started thinking clearly rather than absorbing more information. Creativity felt more accessible. Thoughts had space to organise themselves.

Without constant input, the mind starts generating instead of reacting.

Creating Space for Thought Instead of Consuming More Information

I love learning, but I’m beginning to see that I might be taking in too much. I already have plenty of ideas. Plenty of knowledge. Plenty of things to implement. Consuming more information often adds to the list instead of helping me act on what I already know.

This is where the slower, steadier parts of my routine help — routines built around calm rather than stimulation:
A Three Step Morning Routine for Mental Resilience and Emotional Stability

So I’ve been thinking about how to build more boredom into my routine. Maybe it is walking without earphones. Maybe it is driving to work with no podcast. Maybe it is having one or two periods each day where I am not taking in anything at all. At first it will feel boring, and I will miss the feeling of progress that comes from learning something new. But I think I’m at the point where I need more space, not more information.

I remember watching a video from a Harvard professor named Dr. Arthur Brooks talking about this exact idea. He explained how embracing boredom increases creativity, peace of mind, and mental clarity, especially in a world where our brains are constantly hit with small dopamine spikes from social media, messages, and information. By creating empty space, we give the mind room to settle and to think.

A Practice I Want to Build More Intentionally

I’m going to keep experimenting with boredom. Longer meditation sessions when I have the time. Walks without earphones. Moments of silence during the commute. Space for ideas to form instead of forcing them. Space for presence instead of noise.

It feels uncomfortable at first, but the clarity that comes after the discomfort makes it worth exploring more seriously. I can feel how different my mind is when it has room to breathe, and I want more of that in my life.

I don’t think boredom is the enemy.
I think it’s a door.
And I’m only just starting to open it.

FAQ

1. Why does boredom feel so uncomfortable at first?
Because the mind is used to constant stimulation. When the inputs suddenly stop, the nervous system treats the silence as unfamiliar territory. With a bit of time, the discomfort softens and the mind begins to settle on its own.

2. Can longer meditation sessions really help with overthinking?
Yes. Once you get past the early twenty to thirty minutes of mental noise, the mind naturally shifts into a deeper, calmer state. It becomes easier to watch your thoughts instead of getting pulled into them.

3. Do I need to meditate for an hour to feel these benefits?
No. Short sessions are valuable. The longer sessions simply reveal what happens when the mind finally runs out of momentum. Even occasional long sits can help deepen your regular practice.

4. How does boredom improve creativity?
When you stop taking in new information, your mind finally has space to generate its own ideas. This open space often leads to clearer thinking, problem-solving, and more original insights.

5. Why do walks without earphones feel so different?
Without audio input, your attention shifts toward the environment and your internal state. This makes you more present, more observant, and more able to access the quieter parts of your mind.

6. Can embracing boredom help with stress?
Yes. Removing stimulation gives the nervous system a chance to settle. Calm often comes from less input, not more solutions. It creates a natural “downshift” that reduces pressure.

7. Is it normal to feel restless when trying to do nothing?
Very normal. Restlessness is usually a sign of how overstimulated your mind has become. With practice, the restlessness fades and becomes clarity.

8. Should I stop listening to podcasts altogether?
Not necessarily. Learning is valuable. The point is to create balance — to have moments where the mind is not absorbing anything so that your own thoughts have room to take shape.

9. How often should I intentionally embrace boredom?
Even once a day for five to ten minutes helps. A walk without earphones, a quiet drive, or a longer meditation session when time allows can shift your entire internal pace.

10. Why does boredom feel linked to emotional stability?
Because stillness gives your mind and body time to regulate. When there’s less stimulation, your nervous system doesn’t spike as easily, and you develop a steadier baseline for handling stress and difficult emotions.